The gold digger: Bajrang Punia, 23
At 23, Punia has emerged as one of the finest wrestler in the country. He won the gold medal in the Asian Championship held in New Delhi recently. Earlier, he had won back-to-back silver medals in the 2014 Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow, Scotland, and later in Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.
Secret sauce: Hard work coupled with passion and sincerity.
Inspiration: “Yogeshwar Dutt. Not only is he my senior but also my mentor who has guided me.”
Challenges facing India: “Education, healthcare and employment. We must tackle these three issues for the future generations.”
Uplifting feature: “We have such a rich and diverse culture, yet we are one. We need to preserve this uniqueness.”
The road ahead: “I will do my best to win gold in the World Champions later this year.”
As an agent of change:‘We as sportspersons are brand ambassadors of our country. By winning at the international arena we can motivate youngsters to channel their energies better.”
By the way: Punia enjoys Haryanvi folk songs
To know more about the other achievers click here